Take away my pain
by Mystik
Summary: A tragedy brought them together. Will three years be enough to erase their pain?
1. Chapter 1

**Pairing: **Seto/Jou, Yami+Yugi

**Beta:** Jennie B.

**Disclaimer: **They don't belong to me, damn it!

**Notes:** Wrote for the LOLA Challenge at 'A dragon's lair' group.

* * *

**Take away my pain - Chapter one**

Three years. It had been three fucking years. And yet, the pain was still the same. The days still felt grey and overcast, the tears had long since dried up. Only one thing had changed.

His relationship with Seto Kaiba.Jounouchi could remember that fateful day like it was yesterday. It was one day after their graduation. Everyone would soon be heading off to follow their chosen paths, go their separate ways. The blonde was happy for his friends, but in at the same time, he was also incredibly sad, because this would be their last time together as a group for a very long time. Needless to say, he was very surprised when he found none other but than Seto hanging out with the gang, casually dressed in jeans and a black t-shirt. As he looked at him, he couldn't help but tease, "Did you hit your head, moneybags?"

"With your lost bone, mutt," replied the brunette without missing a beat.

Mokuba just sighed and exclaimed, "You promised, onii-san."

Seto rolled his azure eyes. "So I did." He stared at Jou and said in a very nice tone, "Good to see you too…Jou." To say that the blonde was stunned was an understatement. He blinked once, twice, and then replied in a very confused tone, "You…really hit your head, right?"

Seto smirked and answered, "Mokuba…asked me 'nicely' to come to this…gathering."

Jou laughed. "The 'little brother' trick, ne?"

For the first time ever, the blonde saw the other boy smile. A real one.  
"Yeah…that old trick."

It was on that same day that the whole tragedy happened. And it turned out that their first nice talk would transform into a bond between the two teens. They were united. In tragedy.

"Took you long enough."

The blonde turned around and stared at the brunette. He smirked, but was a pale shadow compared to his old smiles. "I was distracted today. Shall we go?"

"Sure, get in."

Jou climbed into the limo and they traveled in silence. It was only a few minutes later that they arrived at the grey gates of the Domino Cemetery. It may as well have been hours; they didn't care. Together, they crossed the rows of graves until they reached the ones they were looking for.

_**"Mokuba Kaiba. Beloved brother and friend."**_

_**"Shizuka Jounouchi, Beloved sister and friend."**_

"It'll be three years at the end of the holiday."

"Yeah…time seems to pass faster for the living ones."

"Indeed."

Since that day, the two of them would come together to visit their siblings' graves. The whole gang had left the town to pursue their own lives after that day and in turn, Seto and Jounouchi had approached each other, for company. In their solitude and sadness they had grown closer.

The blonde smiled wistfully for a second, remembering that when he was a high school student, he would have given anything to be close to the brunette like this. But now…now he really didn't care. They were simply companions, nothing more, nothing less.

Seto put new flowers on Mokuba's and Shizuka's graves, just like he did every time they came to this place, and then he entwined his hand with the blonde's in a gesture of comfort. He knew that Jou appreciated the touch, just like he would were it anybody else. But, a part of him liked to think that the blonde especially appreciated it because it was his touch.

They walked in silence back to the limo, each one immersed in his own thoughts. Once they were seated in the car, Seto's cell phone rang, echoing loudly in the heavy silence. He sighed and answered. "Kaiba."

"It's been a long time, ne?"

"Yugi?!"

Jou immediately looked at the brunette. Yugi was calling Seto? He had Seto's number? He listened to the one-sided conversation with curious eyes, barely able to contain himself. As soon as the CEO hung up, he asked, "What did Yugi want?"

Kaiba arched on elegant eyebrow and smiled lightly at the amber eyes that were glowing with curiosity…so much like a puppy's. It was funny; he really hadn't thought of the blonde in that way for some time now. "He's coming to Domino on holiday…and I invited him to stay at my house."

"Since when are you and Yugi good friends?"

"We've been…on good terms for some time now," the brunette half answered.

Jou sighed in frustration and balled one of his hands into a fist.

Before Seto could stop himself, he heard himself saying, "You can come too, you know. I mean…you can spend the holiday at my house. It's not like you have anything else to do…"

The blonde stared at him in disbelief, but in his eyes, there was also a little bit of shocked surprise. "Sure…why not?"

Neither one knew just what that little conversation would eventually lead to.

* * *

The violet eyes looked around interestedly at the town they had known for most of his life. It had only been three years, but it looked like he had been gone for a whole lot longer. He sighed when he remembered the day before he left, and the whole tragedy.

"You're sighing a lot today, Aibou."

Yugi turned his eyes to Yami and he smiled. Yami was his companion, his lover, his darkness. The little one approached the former Pharaoh and rested his head on his shoulder. "Being back here, I can't help but remember what happened to Mokuba and Shizuka. We should have stayed, to offer our support to Jou-kun and Seto-kun…"

"No, we couldn't have. Besides…they have each other now."

Yugi arched one eyebrow and turned his head up, looking at the other. "What is it you know that I don't know, Yami?"

"You told me that they have been supporting each other for these past three years, right? But, they are slowly sinking into depression. Why do you think that I suggested this trip?"

"To see…them?" Yugi said, his expression curious.

"That too. But also, to help them. They have each other, but they still don't _see_ that they _have_ each other."

"What do you….oh." The little one smiled lovingly. "You mean…we're gonna play cupid?"

Yami laughed softly. "Kind of. We just have to make them see that both Mokuba and Shizuka wanted them to be happy."

"That won't be easy."

"I've always loved a challenge. And you?"

Yugi just smiled and kissed him.

* * *

Jounouchi Katsuya was apprehensive. As he drove to Kaiba's mansion, he kept asking himself the same question: why had he accepted the invitation? Even though they were comrades now, he had never once visited Seto's house; it had never seemed…necessary. But, they were real friends. And that thought really scared the blonde. He approached the imposing iron gates and stopped the motorcycle, pressing the button on the intercom.

"Can I help you?"

"It's Jounouchi Katsuya. Seto asked me to come."

"Just a minute sir."

As soon as Jou entered the huge mansion, a small blur flew out of nowhere and jumped on him, causing the blonde to fall on his butt. "What the…Yugi!"

"Jou, it's been so long! How are you?

"I'm…" He stopped mid-sentence when he saw Seto and Yami entering the room. The brunette looked...stunning.

"I'm glad to see that you came, Jou," the former pharaoh said.

"Come, I'll show you to your room," the CEO said as they walked to the stairs, neither one seeing the pair of eyes smiling at them.

"I think this will be easy," whispered Yugi.

"Yeah…I am beginning to think the same thing," answered Yami, as he hugged his hikari and then headed to the living room. -----

"So…if there's anything you wish, you can ask me or one of the employees," said Seto, letting the blonde through the door of one of the rooms.

"Sure thing," answered the shorter youth.

Silence fell between them. Azure eyes slowly stared at the other's face, only to catch on the amber ones.

Jou couldn't stop staring into that incredible blue. Sure, he had always noticed how gorgeous Seto's eyes were, but until recently, that fact hadn't mattered to him. Why was it happening again?

Soon – far too soon for Jou's liking – Seto looked away and said, "Dinner will be ready soon. I'll be waiting for you downstairs."

"O…kay." Jou entered the room and leaned on against the closed door, sighing softly. What was going on? He closed his eyes and fisted his hands tightly. He could _not_ revive those feelings again. He had promised himself that he wouldn't.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**Pairing: **Seto/Jou, Yami+Yugi

**Beta:** Jennie B.

**Disclaimer: **They don't belong to me, damn it!

**Notes:** Wrote for the LOLA Challenge at 'A dragon's lair' group.

* * *

**Take away my pain - Chapter two**

Yugi was having way too much fun with this, and he could tell that Yami was, too. How could their friends not see how much they wanted each other? All through dinner, the brunette and the blonde had exchanged shy looks, or let out little, wanton sighs when the other wasn't listening. But, to the hikari, it seemed as if Jou was sighing far too much. "Jou, do you want to come to my room when we're finished eating? I have this new artifact Yami and I brought from Egypt!"

The blonde was startled from his thoughts and he looked over at his best friend as he smiled lightly. "Sure."

Yami watched them leave the dining room, and didn't waste any time approaching the brunette. "What's going on between you two, Seto?"

"Really smooth, Pharaoh."

"Come on, I know you. You look so somber…even more than usual."

The brunette snorted dismissively, but after looking into his former enemy eyes, he sighed. "I…really don't know what's happening. You know that I like…him. In fact, you are the only person that I've ever told. But, after everything that's happened between us, I don't think I have a chance anymore. I'm lucky that I can comfort Jou…and that I have him to comfort me, also."

"Comfort could also involve loving each other," suggested the shorter man, smiling gently.

"It's not that simple."

"It's simple. The problem is that you two always make things difficult. You two it make it complicated," surmised Yami.

"Since when is it even your business?!" exclaimed Seto as he got up out of the chair and left the dining room.

The former pharaoh sighed and said to no one in particular, "Since Mokuba and Shizuka asked me to help you guys."

* * *

"So…where's this artifact?" the blonde asked upon entering in the bedroom with Yugi.

"In my case. Sit down, I'll get it."

Jou laid down on the soft bed and sighed, turning to stare at the ceiling, which was painted a deep blue.

_Like his eyes…_

He shook his head as soon as the thought appeared. This was not the time for such things! He averted his eyes from the ceiling just in time to see Yugi returning with a black suitcase, and looking very Kaiba-like. "You're scaring me even more, buddy. First, you're staying at Seto's house. And now you have a suitcase just like he has? Really…"

"On first name-basis with him already, Jou-kun? I didn't know you and Seto-kun were so close…"

The blonde youth gasped, blushing furiously. "It's not like that and you know it!"

"Relax," said Yugi, laughing softly. "I'm just kidding. Come on, let me show you." He sat on the bed next to his best friend and opened the case, revealing a golden collar. It was very much like the one Isis used to wear, but instead of the golden eye, the pendant was in the form of half of a heart.

"Where's the other half?"

"We don't know. Yami and I found it this way. According to what we discovered, only when the true owner of the pendant wears it again will the other half show. Or something like that."

The blonde extended his hand. "Can I touch it?"

"Sure."

Jou took the collar in his hand, feeling the cold metal against his palm. He smiled, looking at the half-heart. Suddenly, the pendant started to glow. "What is that?"

"Jou-kun!"

The last thing the blonde saw was an explosion of light.

* * *

Jasmine. The room smelled of jasmine. Amber eyes slowly opened, and then blinked. "What the fuck just happened?" Jou sat up on the bed, and he felt a little dizzy. Then he saw where he was. "What the hell?!"

The chamber was full of candles, hundreds of them, surrounding his bed and giving a golden glow to the room. Intricate drawings were noticeable on the walls, which were made of stone. The linen bed sheets covered his naked body.

Wait a minute. Naked body?

The blonde got up, blushing darkly at being in that state, but unable to remember when it was that he took off his clothes in the first place.

"You're awake."

He turned around and stared. And then, he stared some more. Seto Kaiba, in all his glory, stood on the threshold of the chamber, wearing only a pair of tight pants. _Very_ tight pants. His body glowed in the light of the candles, and Jou felt his mouth go dry. "Where…are we?"

"You mean you don't remember? I'm sad to hear that, beloved," answered the brunette as he walked slowly and sensually toward him.

"Be...loved?" stammered Jou, as he took a step back.

"Yes, beloved. Don't tell me that you've forgotten that, too?"

He felt the edge of the bed against the backs of his knees, and he fell upon it, his heart pulsing quickly. He gasped nervously when Seto climbed onto the bed and straddled him, trapping his body against the linen sheets. "Why are you doing this?"

"I've waited for so long…I've waited days and nights for you. And now, you're here, and well…now you can be mine and I can be yours…forever."

"What are you talking about? You're scaring me!"

The azure eyes glowed lustfully, and then, Seto kissed the blonde, his mouth hard and demanding.

Jou gasped and moaned, feeling that eager tongue mapping every surface of his mouth, his body melting against the sensual assault.

"Be mine tonight."

"Yeah…oh God, yeah…take me."

* * *

"Jou-kun? Jou-kun!"

The blonde woke up and gasped, feeling his entire body slick with sweat. He sat up on the edge of the bed and saw three pair of eyes looking at him intently.

"Are you okay?" asked Yami.

"I'm fine…what happened?"

"The collar. I don't know how or why, but it reacted to your touch, and then you kind of passed out."

"We were worried," the brunette said.

The voice sent chills down Jou's spine. He looked at Seto, and then looked away. "Well, I'm awake now. And I'm fine."

"Good. Come, I'll take to your room."

The blonde offered his hand to Seto, but shrieked when the brunette caught him in his arms. "Put me down, baka!"

"You're weak. Let's go." He turned his blue eyes to the pair of lovers. "Good night."

Yugi saw the CEO carry the protesting blonde out, and he laughed a little. Then he turned his eyes to his lover, and inquired, "You know what happened, right?"

"Of course I do."

"Tell me. Now."

The former pharaoh hugged him and whispered, "I cannot tell…for now. All you have to know is that tonight, their destiny was set in motion."

"For your sake, I hope it will not harm either of them."

* * *

"I already said to put me the fuck down!"

"We're here."

Jou was dropped unceremoniously on the bed, and his amber eyes glared heatedly at the CEO. "Thanks, asshole."

"Anytime."

"Are you even listening to me?"

Seto stared at him and for a moment, his breath caught in his throat. "What? Did something happen to you after you touched that collar?"

"Oh Seto, I didn't know you that you had started to believe in these things."

"It's not like that!"

Seto's harsh tone caused Jou's reply to die in his throat. He looked at the brunette, and sighed wistfully. That dream, or vision, or whatever it was, had awoken something deep inside of him. It was an intense longing, like a piece of himself was missing. And whenever he looked at Seto, he found that the painful feeling was gone. It wasn't possible…was it? He slowly approached the other and rested his hand on top of the pale one, whispering, "I'm fine."

Seto looked at the blonde and leaned in closer, until their faces were mere inches from each other. "I'm glad to hear that. This holiday will be good."

"Yeah…" came the shaky reply.

"Good night Jou."

The touch to his lips was so brief that after the CEO was gone, the blonde was left to wonder if he had dreamed the entire thing. Again.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

**Pairing: **Seto/Jou, Yami+Yugi

**Beta:** Jennie B.

**Disclaimer: **They don't belong to me, damn it!

**Notes:** Wrote for the LOLA Challenge at 'A dragon's lair' group.

* * *

**Take away my pain - Chapter three**

"I'm so not gonna do this."

"You will, and you will like it."

"Yami…" Jou gave the former pharaoh a pouty look. Yami laughed, but refused to give in.

"You look like a puppy with those sad eyes, and for your information, they don't work on me; they only seem to work with Kaiba."

"Yami!"

"Well, it's true. You tried so hard, and he finally fell for you."

Jou blushed as he looked away. It's not like it was true…right? Well…he supposed that it had been true that during his years in high school, he had tried to gain the attention of the aloof brunette, but now he didn't really care anymore. At least, that was what the blonde had tried to convince himself. "How do you know he 'fell' for me, Yami?"

"Come on Jou! Yugi and I were the ones that encouraged you to try. And, for as long as I have known Seto, he has never given so much attention to anyone besides his brother, like he does to you. Of course he loves you!"

"Bullshit."

"You are quite stupid when you want sometimes, ne?"

Jou sputtered indignantly. Then, he crossed his arms stubbornly. "Well, I'm still not doing it."

"Stop being such a pussy and let's go."

"Yugi would be surprised to hear you using that kind of language."

"He likes the way I talk. In fact, when I talk like this to him, he likes it a lot," Yami teased.

"No details, please."

Yami smirked and both went out to the garden.

* * *

Seto blinked at what he saw. And then, he blinked again. "Jou?"

"Yami made me do it."

The glade in the garden had been changed into a big battle arena. The small trees formed something like a barricade around them. But, despite the huge transformation, that was not what Seto was looking at. He was staring at the blonde's outfit.

Jou was wearing a pair of fitted dark leather pants that molded to his body like a second skin, and a white casual shirt that had been mostly unbuttoned. A lovely blush adorned the cheeks.

The blonde was looking, in actuality, quite fuckable.

"Yami made you do what?" the brunette finally asked, waking from his daydream.

"The arena…the clothes," the blonde whispered in return. "He thought it would do us some good to remember the old times and make us duel."

"He thought so?" Silently, Seto thanked the former pharaoh for the clothes that were currently on Jou's body.

"Yeah…" Slowly, his embarrassment was fading and the blonde smiled a little. "Think you're up for the challenge, Kaiba?"

The azure eyes stared at him. "I can beat you to the ground in my sleep."

"Well, we will see."

Not far away, Yugi was quietly watching them, and he giggled when he saw the looks they were exchanging. Standing next to his hikari, Yami smiled approvingly. He had always noticed how happy they had looked when dueling. Maybe doing so again would make their pain fade away, even if it was just a little bit. He needed that to happen in order to make his plan work.

* * *

"Give up."

"Never."

"I don't want to crush you and your pathetic monsters."

"Well, that will never happen. Do you think you've already won?"

"I know I have."

"You wish."

The amber and azure eyes were locked on each other. What had started out as a simple duel was slowly changing into something more, and both duelists could feel it, but neither one would ever admit it. They were standing quite close together; far too close for a proper duel, and as a result, a lot of the ground around them had been destroyed. Seto himself had fought a lot of duels in his short life, but the thrill he was feeling at that moment could not compare to any of them. This was more…it felt more like hunting.

Normally, Jou didn't like being pursued like that. It scared him because he felt as though he'd been hunted his whole damned life. But now…he was delighting in being the brunette's prey. Shivers ran down his spine, and he was this close to simply giving up and surrendering to his opponent.

"Quit now," Seto said, showing the Blue Eyes card he held in his hand.

"No." The shaky reply was accompanied by the summoning of the Red Eyes card.

"You can't defeat me."

"I can."

The white dragon's blue eyes seemed to glow in the morning light, and the white lightning beam attack threw the black dragon back a fair distance. Jou felt the impact as well, but before he fell, two strong arms grabbed on to him.

"I told you."

Amber eyes looked up into the sparkling blue and froze at the glint of amusement there. Jou licked his suddenly dry lips, and for a moment, all he could do was just stare. "Seto?"

"Yeah?"

"Let go of me."

He fell on his butt and gasped in surprise. Looking up, he felt a little pang of sadness in his chest when he saw Seto walking away.

"You didn't eat breakfast, am I right? Come on, let's eat something." The voice held no passion any more.

"Okay." The blonde got up and cursed himself all the way to the dining room.

* * *

"You're so fucking stupid, Jou."

"Gee, thanks Yugi." Jou said with a little bit of surprise in his eyes at hearing such a strong word from his buddy lips. Three years could sure change a lot of things, apparently.

They were seated on the large bed in the room that Yugi and Yami were using. The other two were down in Seto's office, talking.

"What did you want me to do, anyway?" Jou demanded.

"Kiss him, of course! Or do you want me to draw it out for you?"

"Shut up."

The shorter youth sighed, rubbing his temples with his fingers. "Why do you two have to make things so complicated? You like him, he obviously likes you, so what's the fucking problem?"

"It's not that simple, okay?"

"Of course it is! You, Katsuya, are the one who is complicating everything!"

"I just can't!!" exclaimed the blonde, his amber eyes full of anger.

"Why not?" Yugi replied, looking at him with genuine surprise.

"I made a promise."

There was a long moment of silence until finally, the shorter one whispered, "A promise? To who?"

"Shizuka."

The violet eyes grew wide, and then he blinked, obviously confused. "What kind of promise did you make?"

The blonde got up and left the room without saying another word. As the door closed, Yugi sighed and leaned back on the bed. "This is so much more complicated than I first thought," he mused aloud. He needed to talk with Yami.

* * *

Jou was kind of amazed. He had never imagined in his wildest dreams that one day he would be chatting with Seto Kaiba as if they were old friends. The two of them were in the arcade, along with the rest of the gang, but somewhere along the way, they had been left alone when the others had started playing with each other. And so, they had started to talk, and wonder of wonders, it had turned out that the CEO was actually a nice person. Well, Jou found that he was easy to chat to when he wasn't busy trying to be a prick.

_"Oniichan!"_

_The amber eyes turned around and widened at the sight of his sister, who had been spending a few days in Domino. She looked extremely frightened. "What happened, Shizuka?"_

_Her voice was panicked. "The others, the arcade, it's happening, and Mokuba…"_

_"What's happened to Mokuba?" The cold voice sent shivers up Jou's spine. Seto was, indeed, the overly protective big brother._

_"He is…he's being held hostage by the robbers!" cried the girl, hugging Jou tightly._

_"What?!"_

_They hurried to the front of the arcade, and there they came upon a scene that neither of them would ever forget: people were cowering on the ground, and Mokuba Kaiba was being held in the arms of a big, bulky man, a gun pointed to his head._

Seto opened his eyes, a silent scream stuck in his throat. It was another nightmare. This made it, what, the fifth night in a row? He was once again remembering the scene that had unfolded three years ago, his dreams were so clear that he felt like he was living it all over again. "Fuck," cursed the CEO, rubbing agitatedly at his temples. He should never have listened to his brother that day. He should have remained the cold, selfish prick that they all knew and hated, and stayed out of that place. If he had, he would never have made the fucking mistake that had cost his brother his life. And Jou's sister's, too. "I don't even know why he still talks to me."

He got up, and decided to get something to drink, something to calm his nerves. This was supposed to be a holiday to help heal the old wounds…but they were hurting more than ever. As he headed for the kitchen, he never noticed the two pairs of eyes that were following him.

"They are so immersed in their own pain that they would never listen to us," the young girl said sadly.

"I know my brother wouldn't. He doesn't believe in those kinds of things."

"Our only chance is Yami."

"Yeah…"

Shizuka and Mokuba entwined their hands together and slowly disappeared from sight.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

**Pairing: **Seto/Jou, Yami+Yugi

**Beta:** Jennie B.

**Disclaimer: **They don't belong to me, damn it!

**Notes:** Wrote for the LOLA Challenge at 'A dragon's lair' group.

* * *

**Take away my pain - Chapter four**

"It's tomorrow."

"What?"

"Tomorrow it will have been three years."

Yugi glanced to up at his blonde friend and frowned. Since the day he had learned of Jou's 'promise', his friend had seemed even more depressed. And not even Seto seemed able to cheer him up this time. Not that the CEO was in any better mood, either. The brunette slowly ate his cereal, which came as quite a surprise to the shorter youth; he had always figured the other as the coffee-for-breakfast type.

The former pharaoh was watching the two of them carefully, reflecting on the words Shizuka and Mokuba said to him last night during their 'visit'. Yami could see them, and apparently, he was the only one. Both spirits had been so worried about their siblings' state of mind that they had asked him for help. But, he had no idea what to do now! His plan wasn't working like it was supposed to have. After Yugi had told him about the promise Jounouchi had made, he had immediately asked Shizuka about it, and to his surprise, the girl couldn't remember any promise. "Would you two stop?" he exclaimed in sudden exasperation. The three pair of eyes turned to him, and Yami sighed as he rubbed his temples. "You two, Jounouchi and Seto, are the most annoying, stupid pair of lovers I have ever seen!"

"Lovers?" inquired the brunette.

"Yes, lovers! And even if you don't believe in those things Seto, you and he were lovers in ancient Egypt," Yami said, suddenly coming up with a change of plans. With these two, he knew he would have to do something…more drastic.

The sound of the fork clattering on the floor drew everyone's attention to the blonde. He quickly looked away and got up. "Excuse me."

Before anyone could say anything, the blonde had bolted from the dining room. He locked himself in his bedroom and closed his eyes, feeling his heart beating quickly inside his chest. That dream, those kisses…they had indeed been real! "I can't believe this." Seto had called him 'beloved'. Those azure eyes that had been sparkling with devotion. Jou shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. No; he had promised his sister, and Jounouchi Katsuya never went back on his promises. Ever.

* * *

_Seto couldn't take anymore. He had to do something! He got up and felt Jou, who was at his side, stiffen slightly, but he couldn't care less. With the confident strides befitting his position of CEO he walked to where the robbers stood with his brother. Both men simply stared at him for a moment._

_"I thought we told everybody to lay on the fucking floor," the bulky man sneered._

_"You did, but I think we can come some sort of an understanding."_

_"And who the fuck you think you are?" snarled the bulky man._

_"Seto Kaiba. If it's money you want, I will give to you. But first, you have to let my brother go."_

_"So…this is your brother, huh?" the man smirked, his lips set in a cruel smile as he held even tighter to the boy. "I think this kid is more valuable than I thought."_

_Seto clenched his hands by his sides, his azure eyes sparkling with silent fury. "If you do anything to him, the world won't be big enough for you to hide from me."_

_Worried, Jou got up, sensing that the brunette was about to do something very irrational. "Kaiba…"_

_"Stay out of this, mutt."_

_The icy tone felt like a punch in the face. Still, the blonde approached stubbornly. "Don't tell me what to do, moneybags."_

_"You two! Shut the fuck up!" the other, slightly smaller, robber shouted nervously, pointing his gun at the blonde. He was deathly afraid; the police would be there at any minute, and the robbery was taking far too long._

_Seto approached further, his desire to take that frightened look from his brother's eyes causing him to act foolishly. Startled, the skinny man moved his finger, and all hell broke loose. Everything happened so fast, it was like a blur. The bulky man shouted to his partner, who was growing more nervous by the minute. Seeing the robbers were distracted, the brunette took a chance and advanced on the man, hoping to set Mokuba free._

_"Kaiba no!"_

_And then there was a shot. Jou closed his eyes at the sound and then…he felt something warm and soft fall against his chest. His opened his eyes and gasped as he looked down at the body of his sister in his arms. "Shizuka! Shizuka!"_

_"Take that, you little bitch!"_

_There was another shot, and Mokuba fell on Seto's arms._

_"Niisama…"_

_"Mokuba, what were you thinking?" For the first time in his life, the blonde heard the desperation in the CEO's voice. "Why did you do that?"_

_"We are always there for each other…right?" The voice of the raven-haired boy came in little gasps._

_"Oniichan…are you okay?"_

_"Shizuka…" Jou felt the tears in his eyes. He didn't fucking care about anything anymore. He had to get his sister to a hospital!_

_Yugi approached him, with Anzu at his side, hearing the police sirens. In all the confusion, the robbers had been knocked down by Honda and Otogi. But, neither Seto nor Jounouchi could hear or see a single thing. The most important people in their lives were slowly dying in their arms._

The blonde could feel the tears before he even opened his eyes. A loud clap of thunder echoed in the room, and soon the sound of a heavy rain could be heard.

"How ironic." Jou whispered as he sat up on the bed. He hadn't had that dream for some time now. He took a look at the expensive room and sighed heavily. Kaiba had so much money, and for what?

_I promise to never love anyone ever again…to never lose anyone ever again…omouto._

Jounouchi sighed again, hearing his own voice echoing in his mind from the day after Shizuka had died, at the funeral. The blonde had stood at the brunette's side the whole time, but it was like a part of him had gone with the girl. And it was on that day that he would close himself off emotionally. He would be cold and aloof like Seto; he would never love anyone again, so he would never again have to go through what he was feeling. As he took the CEO's hands in his, he promised that he would look after Seto for Mokuba. He made his promises on both siblings' graves because after having lost two of the people he loved most in his short life, he felt that such actions would be the only way to make that heart-wrenching pain go away.

"This isn't working anymore," Jou said to no one in particular. He got out of bed and left the room, heading downstairs to look for the other occupants of the house. The rain echoed loudly in the huge mansion, and as he approached the living room, he heard Yami saying something to his other half.

"Did you put the collar there as I told you to, aibou?"

"Yeah, but I still don't understand how this is gonna help Jou-kun and Seto-kun."

"In time Yugi…in time."

"But, are you sure no one is gonna steal the collar?"

"Oh, they won't."

"What the fuck you two are planning?" the blonde shouted as he entered the living room.

"Jou-kun!" Yugi looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

"It's for your own good, Jou," Yami said, obviously unaffected by the blonde's raving.

"And since when is my good it's your business, Yami? This all started with that whole 'duel' thing! You're sticking your nose into something that's not your concern!"

"You and Seto are my friends, and I want you two to be happy!"

"I will never be happy with Seto!"

"Really?"

The familiar voice made Jou freeze. He turned around and looked at the pair of blue eyes that were staring at him. Yami took that as his cue to leave the room, and he and Yugi slipped out without being noticed by either teen.

Seto crossed his arms and continued to stare at Jou. His voice sounded harsh.

"You hate me that much, Jou?"

"It's not that…I…"

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue…mutt?"

The blonde gasped. The acidic tone cut straight to his heart. His hurt overriding all rational thought, he refused to back down from the taunt. "No…I just don't have anything to say to you, you prick."

"Oh, we're back to the good, old names. How I've missed them." The mocking tone was evident, but Seto couldn't help it himself; he had been wounded by the blonde words.

"I can revive others as well, moneybags!"

"You have no imagination, idiot?"

"Mokuba was so stupid to protect you!" the blonde shouted angrily.

"So was your sister!"

"Oh yeah? Well, you want to know the truth, Kaiba Seto?"

"As if you would know the truth!" Their voices were escalating in volume.

"Money is not everything in the world, and because you thought you could buy anything, they fucking died! Yeah, that's right! It's your fault they died!"

The silence was deafening. Jou immediately regretted every word he had said when he saw the obvious pain in the other's blue eyes. He couldn't take it anymore. "Coming here was the worst idea ever."

"So what is holding you here?"

Seto didn't move a muscle to stop Jou from leaving the mansion.

* * *

The blonde ran. He had stopped his bike in a deserted parking lot and then ran, not looking where he was going. He could sense the heavy rain that was falling on his body, soaking his clothes, but he couldn't care less. He just wanted to run away. To run away forever.

_Stupid Kaiba!_

His heart was aching so much, and he could feel the tears still burning in his eyes, tears that he thought it had dried up. His shaking hands opened the iron gates of the cemetery, and he passed through them into the silent place, walking at a fast pace. As soon as he found it, Jou fell on his knees in front of the grave, sobs wracking his body. His amber eyes gazed at the carved stones where the names of Shizuka and Mokuba were permanently etched. "I'm so sorry omouto…Mokuba. I couldn't stop the robbers, I couldn't stop Seto from acting like that, I couldn't stop myself from hurting him even more…" He trailed off when his eyes landed on something gold glowing faintly despite the darkness of the rain. He extended his hand and took the piece. "What is Yugi's collar is doing here?" He touched the half-heart, remembering what he had heard moments before.

* * *

Back at the mansion, Seto had locked himself in his bedroom, and was now holding a little box on his bed. After opening it, he removed a small pendant and held it against his fingers. It was a pendant in the shape of a half-heart…just like the one Yugi had showed to Jou. He had kept it hidden since his mother had died. She used to wear it all the time, and had said that she would one day give it to Seto's wife. Why was it so similar to the one that Yami and Yugi had found in Egypt? "Everything turned out so differently, okaasan…" the brunette whispered, his fingers touching the pendant almost lovingly.

Suddenly, the pendant started to glow. And then everything faded to black.

* * *

Yami had his eyes closed, and the eye of Horus began to glow powerfully on his forehead. He opened his eyes and whispered to himself, "It's time to begin healing their wounds once and for all. Both the old ones and the new ones."

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

**Pairing: **Seto/Jou, Yami+Yugi

**Beta:** Jennie B.

**Disclaimer: **They don't belong to me, damn it!

**Notes:** Wrote for the LOLA Challenge at 'A dragon's lair' group.

* * *

**Take away my pain - Chapter five**

He was in that chamber again. Jou sighed heavily and rubbed at his temples. Soon, he noticed that he had something around his neck. When he reached up and put his hand there, he noticed that he was wearing the collar. "What the hell?"

"Seth."

The blonde was startled by the voice that sounded so much like his own, and he turned around, his eyes widening at the near mirror image of himself. The only difference was that the other Jou had black eyes.

"What happened my beloved?"

Upon hearing the soft tenor, the blonde turned around once again only to see Seto - or was that Seth - stretched out on the bed, wearing nothing but a collar…that had the same pendant as him. It was the other half-heart that completed his own.

"Where the hell am I?" What am I'm doing there?"

Amber eyes locked on the brunette he knew so well standing at the entrance of the chamber. Jou approached the other and asked in a very low tone, "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

"I've…seen this chamber before. When I first touched the collar Yugi showed me."

"That one?" Seto's pale fingers on his neck sent shivers down the blonde's spine.

He stepped back and whispered. "Yeah…this one. Why? Are you wearing one, too?"

"I think…we might be here because of this." He showed his pendant to the blonde, and was about to say something more when a loud 'crash' echoed trough the halls. An antique vase fell off a pedestal and broke at their feet.

"What is the matter with you, Seth?! They are gonna execute her!"

"There's nothing I can do, Beloved…and you know it."

"Bullshit! You can convince the pharaoh! You are his cousin, for Ra's sake!"

Seth got out of the bed and approached the blonde, hugging him tightly. "Please Jono…don't make this more difficult than it already is."

Jono stepped out of the embrace. "She's my mother; you cannot abandon her!"

"Jono…"

"You are the coldest person I have ever known. I curse you, Seth!"

"Wait…"

"I curse you! I hope that someday, even if takes thousand of lifetimes, you will suffer through what I'm suffering right now; that the person you care the most about in the world will die in your arms!"

The image started to blur, like a fresh painting that had been soaked in water. Amber eyes widened, and he turned to the brunette, his voice almost pleading. "Forgive me…Seto."

"Why are you…"

"It's because of me that Mokuba died in your arms! I…my old self…I don't know! I cursed you!"

In two long strides, Seto had crossed the room, taking the blonde's chin in his hands and making him look up at him. "It's not your fault. It's not my fault." He sighed. "Please, Jou! All that I wanted for this holiday was to finally be able to put the past behind us…to let Mokuba and Shizuka rest in peace. But…" He looked away. "All I have done was reopen all those old wounds again. Forgive me."

The blonde closed his eyes, feeling the tears wetting his cheeks. He sobbed quietly and finally surrendered to his feelings, hugging the CEO desperately. Neither one noticed the glow coming from the two pendants.

"I…never meant to say those words to you."

"I…" Seto's voice faltered, but with a herculean strength, he said the words he had kept to himself for all those years. "I love you so much, Jou. It pains me to see you suffering this way. I don't want to see you close yourself off like this. Don't do it like I did so long ago."

"Seto…" He stood on his tiptoes and kissed him lightly on the lips.

The pendants enveloped them both in a golden light.

As soon as the light had faded, Seto and Jou were able to see everything that had happened. They saw how Seth had fought with all his strength to save Jono's mother from execution, but to no avail. After they had died, they discovered learned that it had all been an elaborate plot to separate them. Then, in the years that passed, their incarnations had never gotten along, no matter how they had tried.

They relived what had happened at the arcade that day, three years ago. They discovered that nothing they could have done would have changed what had happened. Mokuba and Shizuka had been destined to die. They didn't understand why, but finally, they could let their siblings go.

And suddenly, they found themselves in Seto's room, locked in each other's arms. Both were wearing a similar collars with the half-heart pendants. They had been reunited again.

* * *

Yami smiled sweetly and looked at Yugi, who was sleeping beside him on the bed. He laid down beside his hikari and hugged from behind, whispering, "Finally…they can begin to heal each other. It worked better than I had thought."

* * *

The rain was falling hard that night of in Domino, and the streets were deserted. Families were having dinner together, talking about their plans for the next day, while couples were looking for some quality time. In the master bedroom of Kaiba's mansion, something was happening. The pain that spanned thousands of years was finally starting to heal.

Seto was looking into the soulful, amber eyes, which were glowing with love, as his pale hands slowly unbuttoned the shirt the blonde was wearing. The fabric slid down and fell to the floor quietly. His hands touched the warm skin, the action followed by a full, passionate kiss.

Jou moaned into the kiss, his arms wrapped needily around the brunette's neck, his tongue eagerly twining with the other's. He gasped when they broke the kiss, and then he whispered, "Make me yours…forever."

Seto took off his own shirt and stared into his eyes again, murmuring tenderly, "Yes…Beloved."

The rest of their clothes were carelessly discarded, and as soon they lay down on the bed, they moved towards each other, their hands entwined. Jou drew Seto on top of him and kissed his sensual lips with all his passion that he had kept locked away for so long. He wanted the brunette more than anything, and nothing was going to stop him.

Seto returned the embrace with equal fervor, moaning lustily, moving as close to Jou's body as he could, as if wanting to make the two of them become one. His fingers caressed every inch of skin they could find, and beneath him, the blonde trembled and and pled with him, gasping for more.

"Seto…" the blonde groaned huskily. "Want you…inside me…please."

The brunette moaned at the request, sitting up a bit and reaching inside his bedside drawer, and taking the bottle of hand lotion; that would do for now. He squeezed some of the lotion onto his fingers and approached the blonde again, lightly kissing his neck, and whispering passionate words. Soon, one finger carefully probed at the puckered entrance, slipping inside and stretching him gently.

Jou gasped and arched his back, feeling electric shocks ripple through his body. "Seto... more..." There was no pain at all, and he could hardly believe the incredible, pleasurable sensations coursing through him.

The brunette happily complied, slowly adding one more finger, and then scissoring them, his eyes glowing with desire at the sight of the blonde moaning in delight as he tried to impale himself on his fingers. He added a third one, kissing the other passionately as he did so.

"Enough...want you inside me..." Jou moaned as he pulled away from the brunette's mouth, his hands grasping wantonly at the other's shoulders.

Seto removed his fingers, and positioned himself at the blonde's entrance, his eyes locked on the other. Slowly, he started to push his length inside the blonde, hissing lowly at the sensations flooding through him.

Jou grasped the brunette's shoulders even more tightly, his grip almost bruising, as he waited for the sharp pain to subside. But, despite the discomfort, he didn't want the brunette to stop. Ever.

"Are you okay?" Seto asked, his tone low and husky, his fingers caressing the blonde bangs that clung to the other's forehead.

"Yes...I...just keep moving," the blonde said, the pain gradually disappearing, and in its place, a buzz of pleasure began spreading through his body.

Seto started with slow, deep strokes, amazed by the spiritual connection he had with Jou; it was like nothing he had ever experienced before. He kissed the blonde passionately, his pace quickening as he felt a boiling heat building deep within his stomach, his cock hardening further as his desire soared.

Jou cried out at every thrust, his body burning with ecstasy. One of his hands slipped between them, and he grasped his cock, pumping himself in time with Seto's movements, feeling his pleasure spiraling higher and higher.

Their moans got louder and louder, drowning out the sound of the falling rain. Their bodies were moving together as one, as their passion escalated toward their plateau, until finally, they couldn't fight it anymore.

Jou cried out first, feeling his belly tighten, and then hot spurts of semen coating his stomach and Seto's chest.

The brunette felt the blonde's passage become impossibly tighter, and he, too, reached his peak, filling the blonde with his seed. He let his body fall limply on top of Jou's, and he smiled faintly, feeling the faint glow of the pendants from around both of their necks.

After a moment, the blonde hugged the other and said, "Don't pull out...yet. I want...to feel you. Just for a little longer." He felt himself blush as he said those words.

Seto moaned lowly and kissed the other, whispering softly, "Of course, my beloved. Anything you want."

Their wounds had been healed.

TBC


	6. Epilogue

**Pairing: **Seto/Jou, Yami+Yugi

**Beta:** Jennie B.

**Disclaimer: **They don't belong to me, damn it!

**Notes:** Wrote for the LOLA Challenge at 'A dragon's lair' group.

* * *

**Take away my pain - Epilogue**

"It's a shame you have to go back to Egypt," Jou said as he hugged his short friend.

"Well, at least now, I feel more relaxed knowing that you are happy," Yugi whispered in his friend's ear, laughing softly when he saw the blush on his cheeks.

"Come back anytime you want," Seto said, as he hugged the blonde around the waist.

"Maybe we can come back sometime after your honeymoon." Yugi suggested.

"You told them?" the CEO asked in surprise.

"Of course; I don't want anyone interrupting us."

"Good thought, Puppy."

"Don't call me that!"

"It's just a nickname," the brunette replied stubbornly.

Jou sighed and kissed him on the lips. "Only for you, Seto."

Yami finished checking in their baggage with the receptionist at the air line's departures desk, and then approached his friends, drawing Yugi into his arms when he stopped. "Well, our flight leaves in half an hour."

"Let's go eat something! My treat!" exclaimed Jou, giving them a vibrant smile like the ones he used to.

Yugi followed the two lovers, while Yami remained where he was, just watching them. "Well, my plan didn't work out exactly as I had thought, but the end result is the same."

"They finally were able to stop that quarrel."

The former pharaoh looked over to see Mokuba standing beside him. "They are quite stubborn when they want to be, ne?"

"I know my brother is," Shizuka answered from where she stood on Yami's other side.

"I just don't understand why they cannot see you two," Yami stated.

"Have you ever heard of humans that could see their guardian angels?"

"I guess not."

"Just you, Yami, can see us,." Shizuka said with a smile. "But then again, you are Yugi's angel."

"That's true. Tell me, why did you two choose to die?"

"Like you said once, with those two…drastic measures were needed," Mokuba replied.

Yami laughed at that and walked to the cafeteria, joining the other three, and smiling when he saw his two friends sitting so close and exchanging loving glances. "It seems as if all the wounds have healed."

"Did you say something Yami?"

"It's nothing, aibou. Nothing at all."

**THE END**

Reviews?


End file.
